TOP STORY OF THE DAY, brought to you free by WICU: Local fire departments busy putting out fires despite NWS Wind Advisory

Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Dick Johnson Township Volunteer Fire Department PHOTO - Members of Dick Johnson Township and Van Buren volunteer fire departments worked an out-of-control brush fire on County Road 1100 North Tuesday. As a plan of action, firefighters lit a tactical backfire to burn away the oncoming brush fire's fuel source, thus containing it.

More than 10 individual reports to Clay County 911 Dispatch Center regarding brush fires, and illegal burning kept firefighters busy Tuesday into Wednesday despite a National Weather Service's wind advisory.

Wednesday morning, Clay County Emergency Management Director Rob Gambill took to Facebook to warn people of the potential damages: "Eight out of control fires reported in Clay County yesterday and three today since midnight. We're expecting winds gusting to 45 miles-per-hour this afternoon. Open burning under these conditions is not safe. Please don't risk lives and property by burning today."

Gambill understands people want to get ahead on cleaning up their property, but they need to pay attention to the weather conditions, the wind, and the brush.

Dick Johnson Township Volunteer Fire Department PHOTO - Firefighter Earl Hutcheson lit a tactical backfire to burn away the oncoming brush fire's fuel source, thus containing it along County Road 1100 North Tuesday.

"It's a tinderbox out there right now," explained Gambill about how the ground might feel wet, but the limbs, grass, vegetation, and brush are extremely dry. "There was a 10-acre field in the Poland area Tuesday that caught on fire due to potential trash fire. Trash fires are illegal in Indiana. A lot of the burning that people do is considered illegal in Indiana."

LEGAL DEFINITION

According to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, open burning is the burning of materials in a manner that releases smoke and other emissions directly into the air without passing through a chimney or smokestack from an enclosed chamber. Pollution from open burning is a serious concern because it can harm human health and the environment.

This is why Indiana generally prohibits open burning, but there are some exemptions:

Recreational or Ceremonial Fires

Residential Open Burning (Supposed to take place in a burn barrel and is limited to clean wood products, leaves, paper, and weeds)

Burning for Maintenance Purposes

Even if a planned activity is exempt under state rules and allowed under local ordinances, a person must still comply with the requirements and conditions in the applicable state rule.

"Another big problem going on is people are not supervising a fire once they start it," said Gambill about the annual spring increase in brush fires reported. "What most people don't realize is that if you intentionally set a fire and it burns down a neighbor's barn, you're responsible for the damages. There are consequences. You can't leave a fire unattended."

(Learn more about Indiana code regarding business, residential, and agricultural laws, and rules regarding open and illegal burning at www.in.gov/idem/openburning/)

WIND ADVISORY & EMBERS

A Wind Advisory Tuesday advised winds of 20-30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph throughout the day. Gusty winds like that could blow around unsecured objects, knock down tree limbs, and damage power lines causing power outages.

Winds can also pick up and carry burning embers at least one-quarter to one mile on the wind and, if they land on a combustible fuel source, start more fires. (Fires have started and spread quickly from embers more than six miles and potentially more than 20 miles from the main source.)

While it's unclear if flying embers were the source of any of the 10-plus fire calls dispatched to Clay County's fire departments throughout this week, one fire department was able to fight fire with fire.

FIGHTING FIRE WITH FIRE TAKES IT TOLL

Firefighters from Dick Johnson Township and Van Buren volunteer fire departments worked an out-of-control brush fire on County Road 1100 North Tuesday. As a plan of action, firefighters lit a tactical backfire to burn away the oncoming brush fire's fuel source, thus containing it.

"Just don't do it, don't even think about doing it!" said DJT Fire Chief Kevin Orme about starting a fire during a wind advisory. "Please...It's not a good day to start a fire."

Gambill agreed with Orme, saying fire departments respond to numerous calls that are taxing on their resources and the firefighters themselves.

"They responded to these fires on top of everything they normally do every day," Gambill said. "These calls take them away from their communities, away from accident calls, sick people, medial calls, other structure fires, and countless other calls for service."

The Indianapolis National Weather Service issued another Wind Advisory into Thursday, March 11, calling for gusty winds up to 45 mph.

"Firefighters are human; they get tired too," Gambill said about the continuing job firefighters do every day. "These brush fire calls, illegal burns, out of control fires potentially put resident's property in jeopardy, but also the safety of their community. Not to mention the firefighters' health and safety for a call that is really unnecessary."

WHAT'S ILLEGAL MATERIALS

According to IDEM, it is illegal to burn waste materials including:

Household trash

Business trash

Construction/demolition debris

Dumped waste

Do not:

Place trash in a barrel or on the ground and set it on fire.

Burn dumped waste.

Allow an accumulation of combustible materials -- you are still liable if those materials catch fire due to vandalism, accidents, or acts of God.

Do:

Be a good neighbor and be mindful of smoke when conducting exempt burning activities.

Contact your local health department or fire department if someone's burning is creating a nuisance and/or posing a threat to the health and safety of you and/or your property.

IDEM enforces Indiana's open burning rules and works in partnership with local law enforcement, fire departments, and public officials to educate the public and resolve complaints.

If a resident is planning a controlled burn, they need to contact the Clay County Sheriff's Office (812-446-2535) to alert 911 Dispatch of the location and time of the burn.

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